Neil Cameron, Baron Cameron of Balhousie
Encyclopedia
Marshal of the Royal Air Force
Neil Cameron, Baron Cameron of Balhousie, KT
, GCB
, CBE
, DSO
, DFC
(8 July 1920 – 29 January 1985) was a senior officer in the Royal Air Force
. He served as the Chief of the Defence Staff
(CDS) of the United Kingdom and thus the professional head of the British Armed Forces.
on 8 July 1920, the only son and younger child of Neil Cameron (an inspector of the poor and a retired company sergeant major
) and his wife, Isabella Stewart. At only three weeks old, Cameron's father died and he and his sister were brought up by his mother and grandfather in Perth. Cameron attended the Northern District School and Perth Academy. In 1937 he took up employment with the Commercial Bank of Scotland
in the Fife
town of Newburgh
.
in May 1939 and started his flying training as a sergeant pilot. Following the British declaration of war on Germany, Cameron was called up and posted to Hastings
for initial training. From March to September 1940 he completed his elementary pilot training, advanced training and operational training before being posted to No. 1 Squadron
at RAF Wittering
as a sergeant pilot flying Hurricanes
. Cameron was posted to No. 17 Squadron in October 1940 in time to take part in the final stages of the Battle of Britain
.
Following his commissioning in 1941, Cameron flew in northern Russia. Later in the War, he served with the Desert Air Force
and by 1944 he was an acting squadron leader
and he commanded No. 258 Squadron
. During his command, No. 258 Squadron operated in Burma and Cameron was awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross
and a Distinguished Service Order
for outstanding leadership.
After the war he held various RAF appointments. Notably he was appointed Officer Commanding RAF Abingdon
in 1960. He became Assistant Chief of Defence Staff in 1968, Deputy Commander RAF Germany in 1972 and Air Officer Commanding No. 46 Group in 1973. He went on to serve as Air Member for Personnel
in 1974.
Cameron was Chief of the Air Staff from 7 August 1976 to 9 August 1977 and then Chief of the Defence Staff
from 31 August 1977 to 31 August 1979.
. In 1983 he was made a life peer
as Baron Cameron of Balhousie, in the District of Perth and Kinross
.
Marshal of the Royal Air Force
Marshal of the Royal Air Force is the highest rank in the Royal Air Force. In peacetime it was granted to RAF officers in the appointment of Chief of the Defence Staff, and to retired Chiefs of the Air Staff, who were promoted to it on their last day of service. Promotions to the rank have ceased...
Neil Cameron, Baron Cameron of Balhousie, KT
Order of the Thistle
The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle is an order of chivalry associated with Scotland. The current version of the Order was founded in 1687 by King James VII of Scotland who asserted that he was reviving an earlier Order...
, GCB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
, CBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, DSO
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
, DFC
Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
(8 July 1920 – 29 January 1985) was a senior officer in the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
. He served as the Chief of the Defence Staff
Chief of the Defence Staff (United Kingdom)
The Chief of the Defence Staff is the professional head of the British Armed Forces, a senior official within the Ministry of Defence, and the most senior uniformed military adviser to the Secretary of State for Defence and the Prime Minister...
(CDS) of the United Kingdom and thus the professional head of the British Armed Forces.
Early life
Neil Cameron was born in the Scottish city of PerthPerth, Scotland
Perth is a town and former city and royal burgh in central Scotland. Located on the banks of the River Tay, it is the administrative centre of Perth and Kinross council area and the historic county town of Perthshire...
on 8 July 1920, the only son and younger child of Neil Cameron (an inspector of the poor and a retired company sergeant major
Company Sergeant Major
A company sergeant major is the senior non-commissioned soldier of a company in the armies of many Commonwealth countries, responsible for standards and discipline. In combat, his prime responsibility is the supply of ammunition to the company...
) and his wife, Isabella Stewart. At only three weeks old, Cameron's father died and he and his sister were brought up by his mother and grandfather in Perth. Cameron attended the Northern District School and Perth Academy. In 1937 he took up employment with the Commercial Bank of Scotland
Commercial Bank of Scotland
The Commercial Bank of Scotland Ltd. was a Scottish commercial bank. It was founded in Edinburgh in 1810, and obtained a royal charter in 1831. It grew substantially through the 19th and early 20th centuries, until 1959, when it merged with the National Bank of Scotland to become the National...
in the Fife
Fife
Fife is a council area and former county of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries to Perth and Kinross and Clackmannanshire...
town of Newburgh
Newburgh, Fife
Newburgh is a royal burgh of Fife, Scotland having a population of 2040 . Newburgh has grown little since 1901 when the population was counted at 1904 persons....
.
RAF career
Cameron joined the RAF Volunteer ReserveRoyal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
The Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve consists of a number of groupings of individual military reservists for the management and operation of the Royal Air Force's Air Training Corps and CCF Air Cadet formations, Volunteer Gliding Squadrons , Air Experience Flights, and also to form the...
in May 1939 and started his flying training as a sergeant pilot. Following the British declaration of war on Germany, Cameron was called up and posted to Hastings
Hastings
Hastings is a town and borough in the county of East Sussex on the south coast of England. The town is located east of the county town of Lewes and south east of London, and has an estimated population of 86,900....
for initial training. From March to September 1940 he completed his elementary pilot training, advanced training and operational training before being posted to No. 1 Squadron
No. 1 Squadron RAF
No. 1 Squadron is a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It operated the Harrier GR9 from RAF Cottesmore until 28 January 2011.The squadron motto is In omnibus princeps , appropriate for the RAF's oldest squadron and one that has been involved in almost every major British military operation since...
at RAF Wittering
RAF Wittering
RAF Wittering is a Royal Air Force station within the unitary authority area of Peterborough, Cambridgeshire. Although Stamford in Lincolnshire is the nearest town, the runways of RAF Wittering cross the boundary between Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire....
as a sergeant pilot flying Hurricanes
Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force...
. Cameron was posted to No. 17 Squadron in October 1940 in time to take part in the final stages of the Battle of Britain
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940...
.
Following his commissioning in 1941, Cameron flew in northern Russia. Later in the War, he served with the Desert Air Force
Desert Air Force
The Desert Air Force , also known chronologically as Air Headquarters Western Desert, Air Headquarters Libya, AHQ Western Desert, the Western Desert Air Force, Desert Air Force, and the First Tactical Air Force , was an Allied tactical air force initially created from No...
and by 1944 he was an acting squadron leader
Squadron Leader
Squadron Leader is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in countries which have a non-English air force-specific rank structure. In these...
and he commanded No. 258 Squadron
No. 258 Squadron RAF
RAF 258 Squadron was a Royal Air Force squadron during World War I and World War II.No. 258 Squadron was first formed 25 July 1918 from 523, 525 and 529 Special Duties Flights at Luce Bay near Stranraer, Scotland under the control of No. 25 Group. It was equipped with De Havilland DH.6 biplanes and...
. During his command, No. 258 Squadron operated in Burma and Cameron was awarded a Distinguished Flying Cross
Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
and a Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
for outstanding leadership.
After the war he held various RAF appointments. Notably he was appointed Officer Commanding RAF Abingdon
RAF Abingdon
RAF Abingdon was a Royal Air Force station near Abingdon, Oxfordshire. It is now known as Dalton Barracks and is used by the Royal Logistic Corps....
in 1960. He became Assistant Chief of Defence Staff in 1968, Deputy Commander RAF Germany in 1972 and Air Officer Commanding No. 46 Group in 1973. He went on to serve as Air Member for Personnel
Air Member for Personnel
The Air Member for Personnel is the senior Royal Air Force officer who is responsible for personnel matters and is a member of the Air Force Board...
in 1974.
Cameron was Chief of the Air Staff from 7 August 1976 to 9 August 1977 and then Chief of the Defence Staff
Chief of the Defence Staff (United Kingdom)
The Chief of the Defence Staff is the professional head of the British Armed Forces, a senior official within the Ministry of Defence, and the most senior uniformed military adviser to the Secretary of State for Defence and the Prime Minister...
from 31 August 1977 to 31 August 1979.
Later life
In retirement he became Principal of King's College LondonKing's College London
King's College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London. King's has a claim to being the third oldest university in England, having been founded by King George IV and the Duke of Wellington in 1829, and...
. In 1983 he was made a life peer
Life peer
In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the Peerage whose titles cannot be inherited. Nowadays life peerages, always of baronial rank, are created under the Life Peerages Act 1958 and entitle the holders to seats in the House of Lords, presuming they meet qualifications such as...
as Baron Cameron of Balhousie, in the District of Perth and Kinross
Perth and Kinross
Perth and Kinross is one of 32 council areas in Scotland, and a Lieutenancy Area. It borders onto the Aberdeenshire, Angus, Dundee City, Fife, Clackmannanshire, Stirling, Argyll and Bute and Highland council areas. Perth is the administrative centre...
.
Honours and decorations
- BaronBaronBaron is a title of nobility. The word baron comes from Old French baron, itself from Old High German and Latin baro meaning " man, warrior"; it merged with cognate Old English beorn meaning "nobleman"...
- 31 Dec 1982 (Conferred 17 Mar 1983) - Knight of the Order of the Thistle – 2 Dec 1983
- Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath – 12 Jun 1976 (KCB – 1 Jan 1975, CB – 1 Jan 1971)
- Commander of the Order of the British Empire – 10 Jun 1967
- Distinguished Service OrderDistinguished Service OrderThe Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
– 2 Oct 1945 - Distinguished Flying CrossDistinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
– 21 Nov 1944 - Air Efficiency AwardAir Efficiency AwardThe Air Efficiency award, abbreviated to AE when placed after a holder's name, was a United Kingdom honour given for ten years' efficient service in the Reserve Air Forces of the United Kingdom, Commonwealth and Empire. Unlike other long service and meritorious conduct awards, both officers and...
- 1968 - Mentioned in Despatches - 2 Jun 1943
- FellowFellowA fellow in the broadest sense is someone who is an equal or a comrade. The term fellow is also used to describe a person, particularly by those in the upper social classes. It is most often used in an academic context: a fellow is often part of an elite group of learned people who are awarded...
, King's College LondonKing's College LondonKing's College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London. King's has a claim to being the third oldest university in England, having been founded by King George IV and the Duke of Wellington in 1829, and...
- 1980 - Hon LLD (King's College London)